Tiger on the hunt at the Masters

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) - Everyone could hear Tiger Woods charging onthe back nine of Augusta National, with tree-rattling cheers aftereach of his five birdies as he made a familiar run up theleaderboard. The question is whether the two youngsters ahead of him reallycared. Rory McIlroy, the 21-year-old from Northern Ireland, had alreadyfinished off his solid round of 3-under 69 Friday at the Masters.That gave him a two-shot lead over Jason Day, a 23-year-old fromAustralia, who showed off some of his fearless play with a 64. It's the first time McIlroy has held the lead in a major goinginto the weekend. And now he's got Woods only three shots behind. The kid didn't seem too concerned. "If you start thinking about anyone else here, if you let yourmind wander at all, it can cost you a couple of shots," McIlroysaid. "I'll be focusing on my targets and focusing on where I wantmy ball to go on the greens, and that's all I can do. I don'treally care what anyone else does. I don't need to know. "It will be great for the tournament if he's up there," hesaid. "But I'm two shots ahead and I'm in a better position." Besides, the greater mystery might be Woods. He has teased before in the 17 months since his last win. Even ayear ago at Augusta, he was two shots back going into the weekendand never got any closer. The 14-time major champion has not beenable to string together two great rounds since he made his returnfrom a sex scandal last year at the Masters. "I'm just trying to put myself in the mix come Sunday," Woodssaid. "It's irrelevant who's there. My whole job is to get myselfthere with a chance with nine holes to go. That's what we've alwaysdone. And I've been successful at it in the past by doing it thatway." If his name on the leaderboard means anything, Saturday might bea time to find out. And if the next generation of players is serious about becominga star, the Masters would be a great place to prove it. "I've played two good rounds to get myself here in thisposition," said Day, who is making his Masters debut. "Obviously,I'm not going to back down because I've got lack of experience." McIlroy, Day and 22-year-old Rickie Fowler, who shot 69 and wasfive shots behind, played in the same group the first two roundsand made it look like child's play at the Masters. All of them were inspired by Woods winning the '97 Masters by arecord 12 shots at age 21. Told they were 7, 8 and 9 years old atthe time, Woods bowed his head and shook his head in disbelief. "A little older now, I guess," he said. "It's the nextgeneration. It's good to see these guys out here playing with thatmuch enthusiasm and that much zest for the game. And that's good." But it also could present quite a challenge. McIlroy was at 10-under 134, the lowest 36-hole score at theMasters since 2005. He has tied for third in the last two majors,although this will be his first time in the final group on theweekend at one of golf's biggest event. It looked as though he might build a big lead going into theweekend until he stalled on the back nine, and now 10 players arewithin five shots of the lead on an Augusta National course wherepositions can change quickly. K.J. Choi three-putted for bogey on the 18th for a 70 and puthim tied with Woods at 7-under 137. Another shot back was formerU.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy, who overcame a four-putt doublebogey and a three-putt bogey on par 5s for another 69. He was tiedwith big-hitting Alvaro Quiros, who had a 73. Fred Couples, the 51-year-old wonder at Augusta, somehow gotinto the mix, bad back and all. Couples shot a 68 and was in thegroup at 139 that included former PGA champion Y.E. Yang (72),Fowler and Lee Westwood, the runner-up at Augusta last year who gotback into the mix with a 67. Experience never hurts at the Masters. "I'm playing my 12th one. I don't know how many they areplaying, but I don't think it's that many," Westwood said. "I'vebeen in the situation before, probably more recently than anybodyaround this golf course. I think it's a big advantage." Then again, Colin Montgomerie said the same thing when he waspaired with a 21-year-old Woods in 1997 going into the weekend.Woods blew him away with a 65 and was on his way to a 12-shotvictory. It doesn't figure to be that easy for McIlroy, even as easy ashe has made it look over two days. His swing looked strong as ever when he pounded a driver on thefifth hole, leaving him a wedge that he hit to 6 feet for birdie,and another big tee shot set up a sand wedge to the back pin on No.9 to 4 feet. He bounced back from his lone bogey with a 6-iron intoabout 10 feet for eagle on the 13th, though he missed the putt. McIlroy never put himself under much pressure. He was having somuch fun that he wasn't even paying attention to Day, one of hisplaying partners, who was slashing out of the pine straw and firingat flags, piling up one birdie after another. "We had a lot of fun out there," McIlroy said. "I didn't evenrealize Jason was going so good. I saw he was 6 under on the 15thand thought, 'This is going to be a decent round.' We just fed offeach other. The crowd got behind us." McIlroy, Day and Fowler were quite the group - ages 21, 22 and23. The more important number was 18 birdies they made. McIlroy'sonly regret was not making as many putts as he would have liked. "I can't really complain," he said. "I'm in the lead goinginto the weekend at the Masters." He's just not in the clear. Woods made sure of that with three straight birdies around theturn - all of them inside 4 feet - a clutch par save on the 11thand three consecutive birdies starting on the 13th, again all ofthem from close range. "I played myself back in the tournament," Woods said. "I'mthree back, and we've got a long way to go. It's going to be fun." Phil Mickelson has far more work to do. The defending champion played more aggressively, but failed tosave par too often when he missed the green. Mickelson also failedto birdie the par 5s on the back nine and had to settle for a 72that put him eight shots behind. "There's a lot of golf left in this tournament, and I'm goingto be making a run at him and the other guys ahead of me,"Mickelson said. Asked what gives him confidence he can make a move, Mickelsonreplied, "Three green jackets." The cut was at 1-over 145, matching the lowest ever at Augusta.Among those going home are the last three major champions - MartinKaymer, now in danger of losing his No. 1 ranking; Louis Oosthuizenand Graeme McDowell. Woods' 66 was his best round at Augusta since he shot 65 in thethird round of 2005, which also is the last time he won theMasters. The two players in front of him have only three winsbetween them, none in a major. But that's the thing with so many kids. They don't seem to care. "I'm in the field. I'm in position. I have a chance to win,"Fowler said. "I think any place is a good place for a first win,and I would love it to be here."